Tag: Audi drift mode

Drifting is becoming more and more popular with high-powered sports car owners. There’s something particularly enjoyable about slamming on the gas and skidding around a corner or pulling a donut while burning up the rear tires of the vehicle. This isn’t a fondness that Audi Sport Development chief Stephan Reil shares with those fans. Drift modes have been popping up on sport cars and supercars for years now, but Reil doesn’t see the point, and believes that the systems aren’t good for the vehicles.

2017 Audi R8

Reil insists that drift modes are a waste of tires and time, and he says that they aren’t necessary either. It’s possible to drive the Audi R8, the RS3 and the RS6 without a button designed to let you do it, you just need to have the skills and the courage.

Drift it Yourself

To drift an Audi car you simply hold down the skid-control button for 3 seconds and all the safety nets will shut off. This makes it easy to drift to your heart’s content. The car is much more dangerous to drive around like this and it stops being good in track environments, but shutting off the safety nets is simple enough to do that most drift enthusiasts aren’t likely to complain.

Is Drift Mode Irresponsible or Not?

There are critics of the drift mode buttons in vehicles like the BMW M, the Ferrari F430, the Mclaren 720S and so many others, saying that the mode is irresponsible and encourages poor behavior and driving mechanics. They also state that it encourages excess driving without certain safety nets on the vehicle. Others say that drift mode is good because it keeps some of the safety nets intact. Without a drift mode you would have to shut off every safety net in order to drift. There is support in both directions, but if you don’t want to drift the old-fashioned way, it doesn’t make sense to pick up an Audi supercar anytime soon. They don’t come with drifting features, so you’ll have to make the magic happen all on your own.